The Good Ship
by TigerShadow
Summary: Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were never perfect, but the way they turned out came close. -Ten Prompts from the Fanfic 100-
1. Beginnings

Beginnings

He remembered meeting her on the train, when she had come in demanding that they tell her about Neville's toad. She had annoyed him and Harry half to death, boasting about all of those spells she'd learned and turning up her nose at an (admittedly poor) spell. He remembered hoping dearly that she was not in his House.

Looking back, he's glad that the wish didn't come true.

* * *

><p>She recalled becoming friends with him and Harry. She was certainly grateful for their company, and when it came down to it she liked them both rather a lot, but Ron was so immature, and rather rude. She recalled sometimes wishing very intently that he would just grow up.<p>

Looking back, she finds that she liked him the way he was.

Because ugly beginnings can lead to beautiful endings.


	2. Middles

Middles

She wasn't sure when she had started to fancy him.

It couldn't really have been in second year—though she had been rather flattered when she learned how distraught he had been when she was Petrified. But it could have been in third year, when they had been bickering so much and she dearly wished that they could just be friends again, and she—through all her pride—could admit how much she missed them, missed him. It could have been in fourth year, when she saw how jealous he was when she went to the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum.

But she knows that it certainly had some roots in fifth year, when they had grown closer due to prefect duties and because Harry kept pushing them away so much. It began to overflow, when she felt her heart split in two when she saw him snogging Lavender Brown, and she dearly, dearly wished she could have said something sooner.

What did it was when, at the Ministry, the employees were trying to recapture the Muggle-borns and he had ordered them to leave, even told that Cattermole woman to get herself and all her children to safety. Seeing someone who had been ridiculed for his family's blood traitor status acting so protective, regardless of whom he knew, gave her hope, filled her heart with compassion and love.

She knew, after that. She was in love.

* * *

><p>He wasn't sure when he had started to fancy her.<p>

It probably wasn't in second year, though he had been horrified and devastated when she was Petrified. It wasn't in third year either—he had been too furious with her.

But it might have been in fourth year, when his heart boiled over with jealousy (that he now realizes he failed spectacularly at hiding) when he saw her at the Yule Ball with Krum. It might have begun in fifth year when her intellect had stopped being annoying and started becoming very…attractive. It was certainly in sixth year, and he wanted constantly to kick himself for choosing Lavender over her for something as petty as jealousy.

What did it was when, at the Burrow, she was planning their escape. The way she could think things through even in a dark and dangerous time, the way she could plan and re-plan everything and still get everything done, that was certainly attractive, and nothing new. But when she was willing to cry, to express her own grief, proving that she couldn't stay strong all the time…he knew that this was a girl he loved—not because she was his best girl friend, or because she was pretty or smart. But because she didn't have to be strong all the time, and she had finally swallowed her pride and shown it.

He knew, after that. He was in love.

In the middle of a war, in the middle of the most turbulent and tragic period of their lives, two people managed to find love at last.

Maybe that's what made most of it worth it, in the end.


	3. Ends

Ends

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of two faithful souls in the bond of marriage…"

Characteristically, Ron wasn't listening to a word of what the man was saying. But this time, instead of staring off into space, he was staring at the beautiful woman next to him. He was surprised, but nonetheless pleased, to see that Hermione was staring back, brown eyes glowing, a radiant smile on her pretty face.

"Do you, Ronald Bilius"—Ron turned slightly pink; he had always loathed his middle name—"take Hermione Jean…?"

They made their vows, Ron stammering slightly and ignoring Harry's sniggers—he hadn't been very articulate during his ceremony, either—and the wizard raised his wand.

"…Then I declare you bonded for life."

He supposed that the wizard must have done something behind him, because he could hear cheering and gasps of excitement, but he hardly noticed—he was kissing Hermione like never before, filled with an energy like that of firewhiskey, and it was just like the kiss that they had shared in the Room of Requirement, only much, much better—

Some may consider marriage an end—but for Ron and Hermione Weasley, it was only an end to the beginning.


	4. First Year

First Year

He didn't think much of her at the start—other than the fact that he dearly wished, once in awhile, that she would just _shut up_.

However, even though the only reason they hung out at first was because they were both friends with Harry, he grew to like her a bit. She'd saved Harry's neck in the match against Slytherin, after all, and they wouldn't have gotten past the first challenge to save the Stone without her (although he thought a girl like her might have been a bit better at keeping her head screwed on straight during a crisis).

* * *

><p>She hadn't given him much thought at the beginning—other than the fact that she found him to be very rude and immature.<p>

But although at first she only hung around him because he'd saved her life, she grew to like and respect him a lot. He was really clever when he applied himself, and they would never have gotten to the Stone if he hadn't played, in Dumbledore's words, the "best played game of chess Hogwarts has seen these many years."

* * *

><p>They wouldn't tell each other or Harry until much later, but they had been terrified that night, and certainly not just for themselves and Harry.<p>

(And even if they insist that it was just because they were eleven and they were under pressure to save the Wizarding world, Harry himself knows better, and he deeply enjoys their reaction when he tells them so.)


	5. Second Year

Second Year

He had been terrified that year.

Not for himself—unless you counted the time he and Harry nearly got expelled for crashing the Ford Anglia into the Whomping Willow. No, he was scared because, for once in his life, he had to admit that Draco Malfoy had a point. Muggle-borns would be first in line if the Chamber of Secrets had indeed been opened. He had seen what those pure-blood maniacs were like, heard stories about them from his mum and dad, and he vowed that as long as he could help it, he would never let one of his best friends become like that—cold, stiff, and lifeless.

(He was distraught when it happened—not just because she had been Petrified, but because he hadn't been able to do anything. He couldn't save her, and he hates being powerless.)

* * *

><p>She had been terrified that year.<p>

Not for herself—although admittedly, the thought of whatever was in that Chamber of Secrets certainly frightened her, especially if it really was trained to attack and kill Muggle-borns. No, she was scared because she knew—whether she was in on it or not—that Harry and Ron would figure everything out, that they would discover a way to fight the beast, how to get to it. And when she discovered what it was, half of her didn't want them to know, didn't want them to get hurt—but how else were they supposed to stop it?

(When she learned what they'd done, how they'd solved it, she nearly went mental. But what took over was pride at their investigation skills—and flattery, when she learned how utterly devastated they and especially Ron had been when she was Petrified.)


	6. Third Year

Third Year

He hated her that year—just a little.

Why hadn't she kept a closer watch on that mad cat of hers? She knew Crookshanks was after Scabbers, and she kept on making excuses for it. That was her problem—Hermione never swallowed her pride and admitted she was wrong. She was stubborn, bossy, and obstinate, and she always acted superior to everyone else because she was so "logical." It drove him mental—it wasn't like having a logical explanation for everything made you special or better than everyone else.

He remembers thinking rashly one day that if she thought everything was so "rational" and could be solved "logically," then she shouldn't even be a witch—he also remembered thinking, "good riddance."

He looks back on that now and hates himself for it.

* * *

><p>She hated him that year—just a little.<p>

Why did he not just lock the rat up if he cared so much? He knew Crookshanks was different, that he was after Scabbers, but he kept on blaming her. That was his problem—Ron would never calm down and hold in his temper. He was brash, temperamental, and wrathful, and he always blew up just because he was angry. It drove her mental—it wasn't like exploding whenever one tiny thing went wrong was going to help anything.

She remembers thinking angrily one day that if he hated everyone else so much, he might as well just leave them all alone—she also remembers thinking "good riddance."

She looks back on that now and hates herself for it.


	7. Fourth Year

Fourth Year

He knew there was something between them that year.

He wasn't sure when he had figured that out, really. It could have been when he and Harry had had that falling out, and she'd spent all her time with Harry. (And even though he knew it was to show him support and be his friend, he can't say it didn't make him jealous.) It might have been during the first task, when she was screaming in fear and horror and encouragement. (And, just a little, he wished he were down there, with her cheering for him instead.)

Or at least, that was the buildup. But he knew, when he saw her arm-in-arm with Viktor Krum, looking absolutely gorgeous and like she was having the time of her life, and he kept making excuses, but really he was more jealous than he had ever been…he wished, dearly, that he could have taken back every word he said to her.

* * *

><p>She knew there was something between them that year.<p>

She wasn't sure when she had figured it out, really. It could have been when she was hanging out with Harry, trying to be his friend, and she wished they'd just make up already. (Because, really, they were both being stupid—and she missed him a lot more than was probably necessary.) It could have been when he was looking for a date to the ball and only looking for pretty girls. (And even though she wasn't one, and she knew it, she really wished he would ask her.)

Those were the subtleties, perhaps. But she knew, when she walked into the Great Hall with Viktor Krum, turning every head in the room, and not just because he was a famous Quidditch player or the Durmstrang champion, and she could see him, looking so incredibly jealous…his words hurt her, but his reaction made her—just a little bit—satisfied.


	8. Fifth Year

Fifth Year

He got a lot closer to her that year.

There were plenty of factors. They'd both spent about a month together in Grimmauld Place—and when they weren't trying to listen in on the Order meetings, they sat together and talked. (It was really only slightly different from talking with Harry, not the least bit awkward, and it was how he had known to get her that perfume for Christmas.) Harry had been rather moody and aloof, which meant that he was with her much more often than normal. (And while they understood that he was going through a lot, they could both agree—he was being a real prat.) They both had prefect duties together, and even though she said that they should be patrolling the corridors, he knew perfectly well that she liked the fact that they spent the whole time talking. (She was the one who narrowly stopped him from hexing Filch when he started telling them off for "public displays of affection.")

If it hadn't been for Umbridge and Quidditch, he would have been quite glad to repeat the experiences of his fifth year.

* * *

><p>She got a lot closer to him that year.<p>

There was a multitude of reasons. They had spent most of the time in Grimmauld Place talking—even when Harry had come. (She enjoyed their conversations, and found that there was more to him than met the eye.) Harry himself seemed to be spending most of his time lately either yelling at people or brooding, which meant that she spent a good deal of time with Ron instead of him. (She understood that he was dealing with a lot at the time, but she had to agree when Ron remarked that he was being a prat.) She had prefect duties with him, and they often had whispered conversations while patrolling the hallways. (And while trying to keep him calm and in line was a bit exasperating, it was also rather amusing and a bit gratifying.)

If it hadn't been for the Ministry propaganda and the stress of O.W.L.s, she would have been quite glad to repeat the experiences of her fifth year.


	9. Sixth Year

Sixth Year

He felt himself falling that year.

He didn't remember when it started. Maybe it was when she had mentioned the Christmas party, and he lashed out because it was just too good to be true. Maybe it was when he realized just why he had been so jealous over her and Krum when he found Ginny snogging Dean. (Because he had denied it, even to himself, because he just couldn't be having feelings for his best friend…could he?)

He knew he had fallen, though, after he'd snogged Lavender Brown out of spite and he saw her face—full of anger, jealousy, and worst of all, heartbreak. He knew he had made the worst decision of his life, and for the next five months, he really wished he could have swallowed his jealousy and that it was her he was kissing passionately during the victory party.

And so, because it got her to make up with him, he's sort of grateful for having been poisoned.

* * *

><p>She felt herself falling that year.<p>

She couldn't pinpoint exactly when it started. Perhaps it was at the Burrow, when she had seen the way he looked at Fleur, and she was green as Slytherin. Perhaps it was when she saw the way Lavender Brown looked at him, heard the way she talked about him, and wanted to do the same jinx on her that she had to Marietta Edgecombe—but it would not be that nice of a word.

She knew she had fallen, though, after she saw him snogging Lavender, and she hadn't ever felt more angry and hurt and betrayed. She knew it was wrong, what she'd done in her anger—from the bird attacks to the silent treatment—and she apologized when they made up. (But it still gave her a vindictive pleasure—that she didn't entirely keep to herself—to see them break up.)

And so, just a little, she's thankful that he was poisoned—otherwise, she wouldn't have admitted to herself how important he was to her.


	10. Seventh Year

Seventh Year

He fell in love with her.

People assume that it was at the Battle of Hogwarts, when they fought together in the ultimate fight for their freedom, their lives—and shared a kiss that he was reliving days and weeks and months after the fact. If not then, they believe it was at Malfoy Manor, when he fought tooth and nail to save her from that old hag of a woman—and won. Harry seems to think that it was when he left them—which he is certainly not the least bit proud of, by the way—and during that time of isolation he felt so incredibly lost.

They're all wrong.

It was before all of that—long before all of those messes, long before they realized what they'd gotten themselves into. It was at the Burrow, when they were planning the Horcrux hunt, and he saw that even though she was careful, even though she tried to be strong, intelligent, and logical to the last detail, she could swallow her pride, grieve and show fear for what would be the most frightening time of their lives—she could swallow the pride that she had had for so long.

No matter her looks, no matter her heritage, Hermione Granger is beautiful to him and always will be.

* * *

><p>She fell in love with him.<p>

People assume it was during the Battle of Hogwarts—as though fighting for one's life is an appropriate romantic environment, though she will admit that that kiss…If they don't think that, they believe it was at Malfoy Manor—much more plausible; hearing him calling for her, screaming her name in broken rage and anguish, was what had kept her sane and grounded under the old hag's torture. Ginny agrees, after hearing Harry's story, that it is when he left them, and during that time she had never felt more lost and broken.

They're all wrong.

It was before all of that. It was at the Ministry, when he had helped—led, really—to rally the Muggle-borns and get them and their families away from Azkaban and to safety. Seeing him doing that—so fiercely protective, whether he knew them or not, even though his blood status said he shouldn't—it gave her hope and filled her with a feeling she couldn't explain at the time—and it's love, she realizes; it is love that came through when he was dropping all prejudices he ever had, and was only reiterated when he suggested getting house-elves to safety when two years ago he wouldn't have cared.

No matter his family budget, no matter his status, Ron Weasley is amazing to her and always will be.

* * *

><p>Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger—their story is not perfect, but it ends perfectly.<p> 


End file.
